Testing All Cows

[pandiana]

Is that true, Value chain, that only downer or sick cows are tested? I am shocked. I thought they random tested a certain percentage of all cows, and it would make sense to test a higher percentage of the sick ones especially if the exhibit neurological symptoms.

[rsomer]

This from the CFIA:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/sci/ahra/bseris/bserise.shtml

A BSE surveillance program has been in place in since 1992, with samples including mature cattle exhibiting signs of neurologic disease from abattoirs and provincial and university laboratories, rabies-negative cattle, neurologic cases submitted to veterinary diagnostic laboratories and universities (tested since January 1991), non-ambulatory cattle (downer cattle/fallen stock) and emergency slaughter cattle. As of January 2002, 7,214 brains have been examined for BSE, and no evidence of the disease has been detected in native cattle by histopathology or immunohistochemistry.

Australia has only had a BSE surveillance program in place since 1998.

[rsomer]

Just a further note: since Australia began testing for BSE in 1998 they have tested a total of 2440 animals to the end of 2002.
In Australia, the surveillance program involves the detailed examination of several hundred cattle and sheep each year with signs of neurological disease which could be mistaken for a TSE.

[cowman]

Well so much for the superior Australian system! If you don't test you don't get BSE. Which seems to have been the American scheme too! Someone screwed up.
I wonder if the Australians are testing to see how much kangaroo is finding its way into their beef products? As in the Jack-in-the-box fiasco?

[ValueChainFX]

Many plants kill downer cattle, and sad to say many of those downers are not tested they are checked by the inspectors before the kill and on the line! Some samples are done but as the story goes what really happens is not always what the rules say happens!

In saying that however, I have seen kills on both sides of the line! The Canadian system is the best I have seen! I don't want to tick any of our US friends off so I also must add that the US system is still good! But when it comes to testing for BSE and general inspection there is always room for improvement especially if our industry hangs in the balance!

[rusty1]

Stop testing! Do some logic
The protocols must first be established defining the real risks associated with BSE. If you are just going to “test” more animals without some cast in concrete, objective, logical rules that every country IS going to follow, every time we and they find the next BSE, you will through all order into chaos.

If we plan on testing many more old cows then we are telling the producer, “yea we might have a problem, but don’t worry our beauracrats have decided that every cows that comes along with prions will stick up her tail to tell us “hey test me, the rest are OK.”

If I haven’t made myself clear. If food safety is the issue, and consumer protection, then there is only one honest choice. If there is 600,000 old crocks that need to be culled every year, then you have to test 600,000 head to mitigate the 2 previous issues and be honest.

If Japan wants all our cattle cattle tested, HEY did I just hear and order. Fill out this purchase order, and give me a down payment folks and we will fill our their order at the established contract price FOB Alberta.

[cowman]

Rusty: Not testing is just a sophisticated form of the 3S approach. We now have 2 cows born in Canada. So obviously there could be a problem? Is it possible that there could be a lot more?
We are rapidly moving into a situation where we are in danger of losing our domestic customer, never mind the yanks and Japs. And when we lose them we are hooped!
The fact remains that business, as done before May 20th, is not going to return. There is going to be a big shakedown in the cattle business and I suspect a lot less cattle eventually in Canada. And a lot less cattle farmers?
Our options are to test everything and insist on the same from every other country in the world that ships us beef or slowly(or rapidly) lose our domestic consumer. The fact is we just need to do business differently?

[countryguy]

France has proved that testing every animal works.What the hell are we argueing about it for?

[rusty1]

Read closely to what I was saying. Testing isn’t the issue, what happens after we find the positive cow then WHAT. That’s what I wand assurance about, and I don’t hear any rhetoric about what are the rules going to be.
For example if the packers are going to be able to send a 40% or 10% hit to the market even for 3 weeks because of the excuse that a “positive” test cow showed up in some dog food plant then why should people that aren’t guilty of doing anything wrong “pay the price”.
I been waiting to hear some rhetoric from our ACC & ABP etc to say whoa to all the jargon about new testing facilities and heightened numbers tested without first including the protocols. Once again the cart is before the horse.

[ValueChainFX]

rusty1 you are so right, the approach that France has is simple, they test every animal over two years they have a complete trace back trace forward system in place. They tested about 130 some animals positive for BSE and they pulled those from the system! The consumer feels safe with these protocols in place. If we are serious about our industry, why would you put your future in an association, or government that has so far proved to be mostly hot air! That is not real finger pointing! Basically I am saying that primary producers are saying they want the industry to return as close to normal as they can, but keep in mind we had a challenge before this as well. A few big guys control the market by virtue of owning the plants. If we are going to spend industry money to clean up this challenge, I would think the primary producer would want to "IN FACT" insist the dollars are spent to reengineer our system to ensure we had kill spots, testing on all animals was performed and trace back/trace forward were put in place! Sorry after seeing the responses from some of our industry leaders, I believe they are to far removed from the primary producer to help us! I still believe they have something to contribute to the industry, but not on the level we need to lay foundations for a future for the primary producer! Just my thoughts!